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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. rash — a series
  3. tear — from crying
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. march — the month
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. march — the month
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. pop — to visit
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pop — soda
  16. march — music
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. ball — a dance
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wave — with your hand

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com